Andrew Claristidge – Danser ou Mourir (LP) [Mille Feuilles/WYN&M] (2015)

The parisian producer of Andrew Claristidge, best known for being part of the french duo of Acid Washed together with Richard d’Alpert, a duo with 2 albums for the label Record Makers, at the end of 2014 began his solo project of Andrew Claristidge, first collaborating with the French producer of Workerpoor with ‘Falklands War EP’ in the label of Battery Park Studio, and then present his debut EP alone of ‘Dance Epidemic EP’ for the French label of Mille Feuilles, an EP which featured 3 original compositions, one of which was in collaboration with the mysterious Mexican artist of Theus Mago, and last April was the continuation on the same label with ‘Delorean’s Dream EP’ a new single with remixes from The Hacker, Das Model and Moscoman, and now comes the highly anticipated album from this producer’s debut solo, an album published in its digital format in the label of Mille Feuilles and in its Vinyl Edition in the recent new label of WYN & M, 12 tracks are those that make up ‘Danser ou Mourir’ by Andrew Claristidge, an album that starts its recording in the studies of Ubu Noir in Lyon where he could find an EMS synthesizer, to start recording some sounds that he felt attracted, after this experience, moved to his residence in Berlin where just gather all the ideas of the album and makes up the concept of the album, and the realization of the same, a recording in which what he is used that he called ‘Pragmatic Composition’, think less, act more. In the middle of all this concept, Andrew was on tour with Acid Washed, with which he coincides with some other artist to collaborate on the album, and finally locked for 2 weeks in the Studio recording to finish this album, a great album and highly recommended, in which Andrew Claristidge proposes a delicious trip of 58 minutes through 12 tracks (2 interludes) that explores the sounds of synthesizers, sounds more intimate and personal. To highlight the great work of artwork done by Océane Moussé.

The debut album ‘Danser ou Mourir’ by Andrew Claristidge opens masterfully with the ode of ‘Automated Motion’, a percussion to start in cosmic rhythms that will soar with the use of synthesizers, 7 minutes of space trip, with a slow progression in which arpeggios are describing galaxies and stars of the cosmos, to give input to the previous single, ‘Delorean’s Dream’ where presents a range of sounds with a touch retro, cosmic and hypnotic, while the ringing current and futuristic, a composition intended to let the imagination fly while we danced, in more than 6 minutes with a few very retro synthesizers with touch disco and elements more techno; from Nantes we find the first album collaboration with Leendder aka Gabriel Bouvet with ‘Règlement de compte à la Cigale’, with a tempo very slowly making its way in the midst of the darkness of outer space that appear the synthesizers that hypnotize us, some majestic synthesizers advancing without concessions; with the magical ‘Discovering the Source’ with 1:39 minutes leads to the feeling of floating in space; and a new collaboration, this time to meet in Berlin with The Claydermans in the recording studio of Rodion to record ‘And Now You Dance!’, track that is included in the compiled ‘Stigmates #1’ on the label Mille Feuilles, sounds arpeggios, influences of 70s and post disco with a great bassline, and a fusion of hypnotic rhythms and modulations; and arrive at the time of the epic, the dancefloor with the collaboration with Henning Specht (member of Hypnolove band) with the brilliant result of ‘Modulated Choirs’, pianos, choirs, and magic rhythms to enjoy dancing; and after the dance, we lose in the infinite with ‘Silver Horse’, atmospheric sounds, minimalist composition, soft and delicate composition; and enter more dark and industrial sounds, post-apocalyptic atmospheres with ‘Mechanical Love’, retro futuristic composition, full of mystery and epic; with less than 2 minutes is presented the hard-hitting and raw ‘Synth Pornography’, synthesizers and percussion creating great tension and a few touches of acid lines; to return to the dance floor with collaboration with Theus Mago singing ‘Dancing Plague’, a hard-hitting, direct cut for the dande floor, synthesizers launching lasers to the crowd of the club, the voice of Theus Mago penetrating in their minds, killer track; a forcefulness that sees continuity with ‘Good Morning Detroit’, dark and tense, threatening and captivating and complete the album with ‘The Coasts of French Cornwall’, back to the slow tempos, atmospheres of dreamy, melancholy seizes song and transmits relaxing atmospheres. Great and highly recommended album.

Andrew Claristidge – Danser ou Mourir (LP) [Mille Feuilles/WYN&M MF034/WYNM002] (27 November, 2015)
1 Automated Motion (Original Mix) 6:58
2 Delorean’s Dream (Original Mix) 6:11
3 Règlement de compte à la Cigale feat. Leendder (Original Mix) 7:21
4 Discovering the Source (Original Mix) 1:38
5 And Now You Dance! feat. The Claydermans (Original Mix) 6:48
6 Modulated Choirs feat. Henning Specht (Original Mix) 4:18
7 Silver Horse (Original Mix) 3:22
8 Mechanical Love (Original Mix) 5:51
9 Synth Pornography (Original Mix) 1:51
10 Dancing Plague feat. Theus Mago (Original Mix) 6:18
11 Good Morning Detroit (Original Mix) 4:15
12 The Coasts of French Cornwall (Original Mix) 3:38

Buy hand-numbered yellow vinyl LP limited to 200 copies @ Juno

Buy Digital @ iTunes